Out of the Easy

Josie is now 17 and explains that over the past 10 years she has gotten used to all the names people call her behind her back. People pretend to feel sorry for her because of her mom but Josie believes she has nothing in common with her mother. She walks from Conti Street, where the brothel is, toward Chartres, headed to the bookstore. She is stopped by Frankie who works for Willie. He tells Josie to tell Willie that Cincinnati is coming back. Josie makes him pay her and he remarks that she should sell herself for money. Josie is saving money to move away from New Orleans.

Josie thinks about the last time Cincinnati was in New Orleans, two years ago. He may or may not work for the mafia boss Carlos Marcello. Josie’s mom is in love with Cincinnati, but Willie hates him. Two years ago, he beat Louise, and Willie fired a gun at him. While Louise was recovering in the hospital, he showed up and Josie burned him with hot coffee. He left New Orleans but threatened to come back for revenge against Josie.

Walking toward the bookshop, Josie sees Jesse Thierry on his motorcycle. He is quiet and so good looking it is “unsettling” (13) to her. He offers her a ride, but she declines. She arrives at Marlowe’s Bookshop where Patrick, the elderly owner Charlie Marlowe’s son, tells her his dad is well today. Some days he is aggravated and does not know who Patrick is. Patrick gives Josie a note from Cokie that says “Cincynatty” (14).

Josie goes up the back staircase of the bookshop to the room where she lives. Charlie turned his office into her apartment as an 11th birthday present because she was sleeping in the bookshop to get away from her mother’s anger and violence. Josie works at the bookshop as a form of rent payment. She hides her money in a cigar box under the floorboard under her bed and looks at the note again.

Josie tells Patrick she will return to the bookstore on the way out the door. She goes across the street and calls Willie to tell her Cincinnati is back. Willie thought so because Josie’s mother has “been a giggling idiot all morning” (17). Josie wants to go out because it is New Year’s Eve, but Willie tells Josie that she needs to stay locked in her room all night.

Josie goes back to the bookshop. Patrick mockingly reads the society page of the paper to her and teases her for her “obsession with Uptown and the society page” (19). A handsome, stylish man comes into the shop. He says he is from Memphis and used to be a college football player. He asks Patrick and Josie where they are going to college. Patrick says he recently graduated from Loyola and that Josie is still deciding. Patrick and Josie make secret hand motions to each other to guess what genre of book the man is looking for. He asks for Keats and introduces himself as Forrest Hearne. He tells Josie she seems familiar and Josie wonders how that is possible.

Hearne buys a book of Keats for his wife and a copy of David Copperfield for himself. Josie says David Copperfield is her favorite Dickens’ novel because “it’s so inspiring […] that someone could overcome that kind of suffering and poverty to finally achieve happiness” (23). Hearne says he understands that kind of childhood which surprises Josie. He tells her that “Decisions, they shape our destiny” (23) and they quote David Copperfield together. Josie notices how much money he has in his money clip as well as his Lord Elgin watch. She tells him she cannot break his $50 bill. She says he can give her a check even though the store does not allow them. He tells her he is an architect, thanks her for the conversation, and wishes her luck in college and a happy New Year.

Josie examines Hearne’s check in her room and thinks about what he said about decisions. She takes out a hidden list she started four years ago, when she met a journalist with her last name and thought he was her dad. Willie told her that Moraine is just the last name of a man her mom married at 17 for three months and is not her real dad’s last name. Willie thinks “fathers [are] overrated” (26) but Josie keeps a list of respectable men she hopes are her dad. She adds Hearne to her list and is pleased he thought she went to college, where she would like to go. She remembers how in eighth grade her mom came to parent day drunk and naked except for a coat; she never went to Josie’s school again, including graduation. Willie and Cokie attended her graduation, though, and Willie gave her an expensive silver locket that she still wears every day.

Outside, people are celebrating the new year. Josie does her hair and goes downstairs for her book. She hears someone and is afraid it is Cincinnati. She throws her book at him and is surprised to see Patrick. He is there with a male friend from Doubleday, a rival bookstore. Josie is embarrassed to be in her nightgown in front of them. Patrick examines her and recommends she part her hair on the side.

In the morning, Josie goes to Willie’s house to clean. The house is filthy from New Year’s Eve. She cleans Sweety’s room, one of the prostitutes in the house who is kind to Josie. Josie cleans Dora’s room, who is “a buxom redhead with wide hips who [wears] nothing but green” (33). She cleans Evangeline’s room, who is short, mean, and a “reformed kleptomaniac” (33). She goes into her mother’s room but exits when she hears that Willie is awake. She says hello to Sadie, the woman who cooks and washes clothes and who is mute. Josie makes Willie’s coffee and brings it into her room. Willie is in bed and Josie gives her various objects she found in the girls’ rooms, including a bullet. Willie is angry and thinks Josie’s mother had Cincinnati over. She asks how Charlie, Patrick’s father, is doing and reminds Josie not to say he is crazy, because he will be put in an insane asylum if people hear about it. Josie describes Forrest Hearne to Willie and Willie informs her he is dead.

Josie talks to Cokie about Hearne’s death. Cokie tells her that Hearne died seated at his table in a club but does not seem to have been shot. Josie does not understand how he died suddenly and Cokie asks her why she cares so much. She asks him to go to the coroner to see what he can find out. He drives her to Patrick’s house, where Patrick is playing a romantic song on the piano. Josie narrates that she learns his thoughts and feelings through his music, and that he is her hero. His mother ran away with another man when he was six, and lives in the West Indies now.

Charlie, Patrick's dad, is seated and holding an old Valentine’s Day box that Josie has not seen before; Patrick says Charlie will not put it down and he does not know what is inside. Josie tries to talk to Charlie, but he does not speak because of his medication. Josie tells Patrick that Hearne is dead, and he is shocked. She thanks him for “covering for [her] about the college stuff” (44) during their conversation with Hearne. She thinks about how she does not want to attend a nearby college because she does not want to be classmates with people who know her. Although “Willie [says] normal is boring” she thinks “being normal sound[s] perfectly wonderful” (45).

Patrick says he is going to buy books from the widow of a man who recently died. Josie asks him about his friend from Doubleday and Patrick says they met at a party. She says Patrick embarrassed her, but he tells her that her hair would look better parted on the side, and it is how the Uptown girls are wearing it. He tells her he saw her mother with a man in an ill-fitting suit. Josie says she does not know who it was.

At the bookstore, Patrick and Josie play a game where they pick which of two literary characters they would marry. They see a young woman outside the door; Patrick guesses that she will want a romance while Josie guesses she will want a thriller. He suggests Gone with the Wind, but she says it is “not really [her] cup of tea” (48) even though the author Margaret Mitchell went to her college, Smith. She wants a book about New Orleans. Josie knows that Smith is in Massachusetts and is one of the best women’s colleges. The woman, Charlotte Gates, is impressed that Josie lives in the bookshop. Josie introduces herself as Josephine Moraine. Charlotte says she loves the name Josephine as well as Josie’s side-parted hair. She says Josie has style and Josie is shocked that a “woman with an Uptown pedigree from an elite college had just paid [her] a genuine compliment” (50). Charlotte tells Josie about Massachusetts and Smith and gives her reasons she should attend.

Charlotte offers to send Josie more information about Smith and invites Josie and Patrick to a party at her aunt and uncle’s house Uptown. Patrick accepts for them and teases Josie for calling herself “Josephine” after Charlotte leaves. She thinks her real name “sound[s] like a cheap nickname” (52). Josie is excited that Charlotte “didn’t know about Mother, Willie’s, who [she] was, or what [she] came from” (53). She admits to Patrick that going to Smith sounds great and he teases her about it.

Patrick leaves to buy the books from the widow. Josie organizes books onto the shelves, including the romance Rogue Desire by Candace Kinkaid. She wonders how Kinkaid “comes up with such bad titles” (54) while she daydreams about going to Smith. She feels her grades and work experience make her qualified, and she likes the idea of her high school classmates’ reactions if she went. She is startled when Cincinnati walks into the shop. He stares at her and asks if she works for Willie. When Josie says no, he says, “That’s a shame [...] I might actually take a turn with you myself [...] seein’ as we have a score to settle'' (55). Josie feigns ignorance and thinks about her gun strapped to her leg under her skirt. He threatens and grabs her, but Cokie bursts in with a tire iron. Cincinnati ignores him then taunts him, saying Cokie sleeps with Josie. Josie pulls her gun out and Cincinnati says her mom wants to meet her for lunch. He leaves and Josie asks Cokie whether he went to the coroner. He tells her that he learned Hearne died of a heart attack, but Josie says he did not. The front door opens, and Josie and Cokie instinctively raise their weapons, but it is just Patrick.

Josie waits at a restaurant for her mom. One of Willie’s men, Sonny, is sitting in a nearby booth for Josie’s protection. Josie sees Jesse Thierry and he tells her Happy New Year. Walter Sutherland, a regular at Willie’s, approaches her. He asks her if she works at Willie’s yet and says he would “pay handsome to be the first” (60). Sonny tells him to leave, and Josie’s mother arrives wearing new jewelry that Josie believes is stolen. Josie asks why her mom named her Josie and her mother tells her she named her after a madam who died on Valentine’s Day since Josie was born on Valentine’s Day. Josie is upset about this, and her mom says, “Don’t get on your high horse [...] You think your life is going to be some fairy tale, hon, like in one of your books?” (62).

Josie’s mother tells her that she is moving to Hollywood with Cincinnati. She wants Josie to tell Willie after she leaves. Josie tells her that Cincinnati is dangerous and that she is “too old for Hollywood” (63). This infuriates her mother, who blames her for ruining her life. She leaves and says she probably will not have time to write. Josie tries not to cry and hums to herself. She imagines nice things but startles herself when she pictures Hearne.

Josie sneaks into Willie’s house to iron her clothes before going to Charlotte’s party. Sweety, Sadie, and Dora are surprised she is going to a party Uptown and help her get ready. Dora jokes about wanting to go out with Patrick herself. Willie comes into the room and questions Josie about where she is going. She wants Josie to take “Mariah,” her car, but Josie declines because the car is too well known. Willie wants to know what her mom told her at lunch. Josie lies and says she just wanted money. Sweety lends Josie her pearl necklace and Josie thinks about how kind Sweety is. She meets Patrick and they ride the streetcar. She is nervous about attending the party and thinks she may be making a mistake. Patrick tells her it will be fine and just like the parties she always reads about in the society page.